A Note from General Dunaway
The Office of the District Attorney General for the 13th Judicial District of Tennessee represents the State of Tennessee in the prosecution of all crimes in the District. The DA's office also has a Child Support Enforcement Division charged with the duty to establish and enforce child support obligations. This office is proud to serve the seven counties of the district which include the counties of CLAY, CUMBERLAND, DEKALB, OVERTON, PICKETT, PUTNAM and WHITE.
The 13th Judicial District is the largest district in the Tennessee (geographically and in number of counties served).
The 13th Judicial District is the largest district in the Tennessee (geographically and in number of counties served).
NEWS/INFORMATION
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STEPHANIE BUTLER ENTERS GUILTY PLEA IN ELDER ABUSE CASE
Yesterday, December 9, 2019, in the Criminal Court of Putnam County, Stephanie Butler, the former director of Senior Lifestyles, an adult mental health group home entered a plea of Guilty to 13 counts that were charged in the Indictment.
She will receive an effective 10 year sentence as a result of her plea. The manner in which that sentence will be served will be determined by the Criminal Court Judge at a later sentencing hearing.
Butler's conduct in exploiting the residents of the facility included taking patient's medication to be diverted to others use and instructing others to burn the packaging, financially exploiting residents by taking control of their banking accounts and overcharging their rent, using their money for personal use, establishing credit card accounts in residents names without their knowledge and making charges for her personal use and enjoyment to including paying her own country club membership, intercepting residents mail to obtain possession of checks payable to them, falsely endorsing and negotiating those checks for her own use, completely depleting the bank account balance of one resident in an amount over $7000.00... and other acts.
In February of 2018, Criminal Investigators with the District Attorney General’s Office opened an investigation into allegation claiming that the operator of the former facility known as Senior Lifestyles was exploiting residents of the facility. Multiple reports of criminal behavior had been received.
As the investigation progressed, Agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation joined the investigation, evidence was obtained that not only indicated elder abuse was occurring but also evidence was discovered indicating that controlled substances were being diverted.
Many agencies assisted in the investigation as it progressed and assisted in the execution of search warrants including, the District Attorney Generals Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, the Cookeville Police Department, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Tennessee Highway Patrol, the Comptrollers Office, the TN Department of Mental Health and the Social Security Administration.
The Stephanie Butler/Senior Lifestyles case came to the attention of the District Attorney’s office through multiple complaints of exploitation and neglect that were submitted to TN Adult Protective services. Those reports are reviewed regularly by our Vulnerable Adult Protective Investigative Team (VAPIT), a multi-disciplinary team established by the District Attorney's Office in 2017.
Months of investigation went into preparing to charge Ms. Butler. I am pleased that Butler’s exploitation of the residents of Senior Lifestyles was stopped. The effort of investigators and prosecutors in this case put a stop to the victimization of truly vulnerable people who could not help themselves and have prevented the victimization of many others. Our law enforcement community takes elder abuse very seriously. We get up everyday to do what we can to keep people from hurting others and to punish those who do.
JURY CONVICTS SHANNON C. HARVILL OF VEHICULAR HOMICIDE
November 20, 2019
A two-day jury trial concluded this afternoon at the Overton County Justice Center in Livingston TN. Shannon C. Harvill was tried for the following criminal offenses which had previously been indicted by the Overton County Grand Jury:
1. Vehicular Homicide of Shannon Cook by Intoxication;
2. Vehicular Homicide of Shannon Cook by Recklessness;
3. Vehicular Assault of Joy Pugh;
4. Vehicular Assault of Thomas Cook.
At the conclusion of the trial, the jury rendered a verdict finding Shannon C. Harville GUILTY on all counts. Judge Gary McKenzie ordered Harvill’s bond revoked and had the Overton County Sheriff take Shannon C. Harvill into custody after the verdict. A sentencing hearing is scheduled January 21, 2020.
The proof that the State presented at trial showed, in part, that on January 27, 2017, Shannon C. Harvill was driving his Nissan Sentra automobile on Hwy 164 (Hanging Limb Highway) in Overton County. Witnesses testified that Harvill’s vehicle passed them in no passing zones traveling at a high rate of speed.
As Harvill attempted to negotiate a curve near the Lovejoy market at a high rate of speed, his car began to leave the roadway, Harvill’s car then came back across the roadway and into the on-coming lane of travel where his car crashed head on into a Nissan Maxima driven by Shannon Cook, age 27. Other occupants in Shannon Cook’s vehicle were Joy Pugh and Thomas Cook. The violent impact of the collision killed Shannon Cook instantly; Joy Pugh and Thomas Cook sustained serious injuries.
Law Enforcement officers obtained a blood sample from Shannon C. Harvill which was tested at the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s crime lab. The results of that testing showed that Shannon C. Harvill’s blood contained a high level of methamphetamine. Also present in his blood were oxycodone, diazepam and nordiazepam.
Shannon Cook’s body was taken from the crash scene to the medial examiner’s office where an autopsy was performed. The medical examiner determined that she died from violent blunt force trauma; blood testing of Shannon Cook revealed no drugs to be present.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol investigated the crash assisted by the Overton County Sheriff’s Department. Special thanks to the Overton County EMS for their prompt response to the crash scene and prompt treatment of the occupants of the vehicles involved.
The case was prosecuted at trial by District Attorney General Bryant C. Dunaway and Assistant District Attorney Jackson Carter. The Defendant was represented at trial by Cookeville Attorneys Bill Cameron and Lindsey Cameron Gross.
“Impaired and reckless driving is a serious problem which is prosecuted diligently by the District Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement agencies. I am proud of the team work in this case in holding Shannon C. Harvill accountable for his violent act that took the life of Shannon Cook, seriously injured Thomas Cook and Joy Pugh and forever affected the lives of the victims and their families.” DA Bryant Dunaway
Yesterday, December 9, 2019, in the Criminal Court of Putnam County, Stephanie Butler, the former director of Senior Lifestyles, an adult mental health group home entered a plea of Guilty to 13 counts that were charged in the Indictment.
She will receive an effective 10 year sentence as a result of her plea. The manner in which that sentence will be served will be determined by the Criminal Court Judge at a later sentencing hearing.
Butler's conduct in exploiting the residents of the facility included taking patient's medication to be diverted to others use and instructing others to burn the packaging, financially exploiting residents by taking control of their banking accounts and overcharging their rent, using their money for personal use, establishing credit card accounts in residents names without their knowledge and making charges for her personal use and enjoyment to including paying her own country club membership, intercepting residents mail to obtain possession of checks payable to them, falsely endorsing and negotiating those checks for her own use, completely depleting the bank account balance of one resident in an amount over $7000.00... and other acts.
In February of 2018, Criminal Investigators with the District Attorney General’s Office opened an investigation into allegation claiming that the operator of the former facility known as Senior Lifestyles was exploiting residents of the facility. Multiple reports of criminal behavior had been received.
As the investigation progressed, Agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation joined the investigation, evidence was obtained that not only indicated elder abuse was occurring but also evidence was discovered indicating that controlled substances were being diverted.
Many agencies assisted in the investigation as it progressed and assisted in the execution of search warrants including, the District Attorney Generals Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, the Cookeville Police Department, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Tennessee Highway Patrol, the Comptrollers Office, the TN Department of Mental Health and the Social Security Administration.
The Stephanie Butler/Senior Lifestyles case came to the attention of the District Attorney’s office through multiple complaints of exploitation and neglect that were submitted to TN Adult Protective services. Those reports are reviewed regularly by our Vulnerable Adult Protective Investigative Team (VAPIT), a multi-disciplinary team established by the District Attorney's Office in 2017.
Months of investigation went into preparing to charge Ms. Butler. I am pleased that Butler’s exploitation of the residents of Senior Lifestyles was stopped. The effort of investigators and prosecutors in this case put a stop to the victimization of truly vulnerable people who could not help themselves and have prevented the victimization of many others. Our law enforcement community takes elder abuse very seriously. We get up everyday to do what we can to keep people from hurting others and to punish those who do.
JURY CONVICTS SHANNON C. HARVILL OF VEHICULAR HOMICIDE
November 20, 2019
A two-day jury trial concluded this afternoon at the Overton County Justice Center in Livingston TN. Shannon C. Harvill was tried for the following criminal offenses which had previously been indicted by the Overton County Grand Jury:
1. Vehicular Homicide of Shannon Cook by Intoxication;
2. Vehicular Homicide of Shannon Cook by Recklessness;
3. Vehicular Assault of Joy Pugh;
4. Vehicular Assault of Thomas Cook.
At the conclusion of the trial, the jury rendered a verdict finding Shannon C. Harville GUILTY on all counts. Judge Gary McKenzie ordered Harvill’s bond revoked and had the Overton County Sheriff take Shannon C. Harvill into custody after the verdict. A sentencing hearing is scheduled January 21, 2020.
The proof that the State presented at trial showed, in part, that on January 27, 2017, Shannon C. Harvill was driving his Nissan Sentra automobile on Hwy 164 (Hanging Limb Highway) in Overton County. Witnesses testified that Harvill’s vehicle passed them in no passing zones traveling at a high rate of speed.
As Harvill attempted to negotiate a curve near the Lovejoy market at a high rate of speed, his car began to leave the roadway, Harvill’s car then came back across the roadway and into the on-coming lane of travel where his car crashed head on into a Nissan Maxima driven by Shannon Cook, age 27. Other occupants in Shannon Cook’s vehicle were Joy Pugh and Thomas Cook. The violent impact of the collision killed Shannon Cook instantly; Joy Pugh and Thomas Cook sustained serious injuries.
Law Enforcement officers obtained a blood sample from Shannon C. Harvill which was tested at the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s crime lab. The results of that testing showed that Shannon C. Harvill’s blood contained a high level of methamphetamine. Also present in his blood were oxycodone, diazepam and nordiazepam.
Shannon Cook’s body was taken from the crash scene to the medial examiner’s office where an autopsy was performed. The medical examiner determined that she died from violent blunt force trauma; blood testing of Shannon Cook revealed no drugs to be present.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol investigated the crash assisted by the Overton County Sheriff’s Department. Special thanks to the Overton County EMS for their prompt response to the crash scene and prompt treatment of the occupants of the vehicles involved.
The case was prosecuted at trial by District Attorney General Bryant C. Dunaway and Assistant District Attorney Jackson Carter. The Defendant was represented at trial by Cookeville Attorneys Bill Cameron and Lindsey Cameron Gross.
“Impaired and reckless driving is a serious problem which is prosecuted diligently by the District Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement agencies. I am proud of the team work in this case in holding Shannon C. Harvill accountable for his violent act that took the life of Shannon Cook, seriously injured Thomas Cook and Joy Pugh and forever affected the lives of the victims and their families.” DA Bryant Dunaway
